ARL VictoryBowl I 2009

[mattystans000]

(I posted this on the RLIF forums also)

After seeing the Aura of the NFL Superbowl playout in Australia here for a few days, I began to think if Rugby League could create a Second Pro Comp in Australia, just like England has with the Challenge Cup.

Called the "ARL Victory League I 2009" (edit), it would feature 32 teams from across Australia, to be a truly National Comp. Over 5 weeks the comp would be played in K/O format, with randomly picked fixtures. Starting in the Off Season in mid-January, with spacings of 2/3 weeks between matches, would see it finish in the first week of April, before/after the ANZAC Test week. To be fair to non-Pro teams, the first wk of competition would see all teams having to field their premier league sides.
(Dates: Wk 3 Jan, Wk 1 Feb, Wk 4 Feb, Wk 3 Mar, Wk 1 Apr)

The whole reason for the comp would be to:
i) Have it played out indefinately for years to come to assist in expanding the NRL in decades to come.
ii) Give fans something to watch in the off-season, to combat the hype of Cricket, soccer and the early season start Union has.
iii) Hopefully the NRL is 22 wks, International season 7/9 wks ending in Wk 1Nov. Giving players near 3 months off to the start of March.
iv) Also whilst being played, the Rugby League World 7's, as mentioned in another topic, could still take place in Mid-Feb, not interfering with ratings on TV or crowd figures.
V) the players of the winning team would also recieve a Victory League Ring

Teams:
01. Brisbane Broncos
02. Nth Qld Cowboys
03. Gold Coast Titans
04. Canberra Raiders
05. NZ Warriors (Wellington)
06. Melbourne Storm
07. St. George Dragons
08. Cronulla Sharks
09. Cantebury Bankstown Bulldogs
10. Newcastle Knights
11. Manly Sea Eagles
12. Parramatta Eels
13. Penrith Panthers
14. Balmain Tigers
15. East Sydney Roosters
16. South Sydney Rabbitohs
17. Western Suburbs Magpies
18. North Sydney Bears
19. Illawarra Steelers
20. Newtown Jets
21. WA (Jim Bean Cup Side)
22. Central Coast Rip
23. Port Moresby Vipers
24. Adelaide - (Local Comp Rep Side)
25. Auckland Lions (Jim Bean Cup Side)
26. Darwin - (Local Comp Rep Side)
27. Alice Springs - (Local Comp Rep Side)
28. St. Kilda RLFC - (Vic. Comp/Schools Rep Side)
* Top 4 Teams of QLD Cup (of Previous Year)
29. QLD Cup side 1
30. QLD Cup side 2
31. QLD Cup side 3
32. QLD Cup side 4

Would appreciate any thoughts on the idea, even though this will probably never come to fruition unless I become an NRL/ARL/RLIF board member (God Willing someday I will), i'd still appreciate some talk on the idea.

 

[ozzy_ozman]

No point... there is already a SOO and other rep games so i would think the victory will be pointless

 

[Shorty]

It looks like you've put a lot of thought into it but I don't see it happening....I mean...I couldn't see people wanting to Americanize our league...

 

[RL1908]

Australia/NZ (& PNG?) should have a comp run along the lines of the Challenge Cup in the UK.

The winners of the UK & Aust Challenge Cups should then play each other.

You could then dump the World Club Challenge - because a match between the winners of the two Challenge Cups would truly be reflective of a "World Club Challenge" ie. in theory Bathurst could play Barrow in the final.

But it will never happen, the nay-sayers of the NRL clubs will see to that.

 

[skeepe]

Agree with RL1908, less so with mattystan.

What would be fantastic would be a cup competition, underwritten by the NRL or a sponsor or both, whereby all rugby league teams in Australia/NZ are eligible to enter. Start off with smaller bush clubs playing each other to qualify, and gradually add the "higher level" teams such as Jim Beam Cup, Queensland Cup and eventually NRL as the rounds progress, much like English football's FA Cup.

Would be magnificent.

 

[mattystans000]

Australia/NZ (& PNG?) should have a comp run along the lines of the Challenge Cup in the UK.

The winners of the UK & Aust Challenge Cups should then play each other.

You could then dump the World Club Challenge - because a match between the winners of the two Challenge Cups would truly be reflective of a "World Club Challenge" ie. in theory Bathurst could play Barrow in the final.

But it will never happen, the nay-sayers of the NRL clubs will see to that.

That's what I intended this VictoryBowl to be, The 'Oceanic' Challenge Cup. Let's face it our Country RL sides aren't what the NL1 sides are like in England. The NL1 sides have somewhat major sponsoring and are able to get a run in Top Flight RL. Bathurst, for example of a CRL side, just wouldn't make the cut for semi-pro competition. Even the premier league sides aren't worth much being based in the exact same places with the same logos/sponsoring and such as the NRL sides (You could have STGI Dragons NRL v STGI Dragons PL :? ) but sides like the Auckland Lions would be worth the expansionist movement, plus they will basically represent the height of the Batercard Cup anyway. As for PNG, it would be nice to have more teams but their infrastructure for something like this probably doesn't help them and that'd be the reason the Port Moresby Viper were founded.

So with the VictoryBowl you get each RL state comp putting forth their best players for a 'rep' club side, i'd say they'd take on PL sides fairly well. Also we give the diehard QLD RL fans their dues with FOUR QLD Cup sides + Bri, Cow, GCT, and the original clubs like Newtown and Illawarra get their own back for their contribution to RL in Australia.

 

[S.S.T.I.D]

I've discussed the same thing with a mate of mine before and I think it would be a great idea. I just doubt NRL clubs would take the thing seriously even if it were ever given the go-ahead. The Challenge Cup is a very prestigious, historic competition. It's a trophy that means something.

Obviously there is no reason why we can't start our own history, but if it ever did happen I would imagine it being for non-professional clubs only because at the very least the same argument that playres are over-worked, etc would be trundled out by club CEO's.

 

[mattystans000]

Obviously there is no reason why we can't start our own history, but if it ever did happen I would imagine it being for non-professional clubs only because at the very least the same argument that playres are over-worked, etc would be trundled out by club CEO's.

Well I wouldn't mind if it featured all PL sides in place of the NRL sides, but still keeping the Magpies, Bears, Steelers etc. But to truly make history with this it would need NRL support, maybe if the first 2/3 wks featured PL sides only (including the odd NRL player) and for the semi's and final the NRL players would step in, but this makes it almost an entire farce, but I'd still enjoy it all the same. The thrill of a new comp, a new Truly NATIONAL comp with hopefully a long history to come, being able to say I was there at the first VictoryBowl EVER.

 

[RL1908]

I've discussed the same thing with a mate of mine before and I think it would be a great idea. I just doubt NRL clubs would take the thing seriously even if it were ever given the go-ahead. The Challenge Cup is a very prestigious, historic competition. It's a trophy that means something.

Obviously there is no reason why we can't start our own history, but if it ever did happen I would imagine it being for non-professional clubs only because at the very least the same argument that playres are over-worked, etc would be trundled out by club CEO's.

I'm not sure how the Brits would react (especially if they lose it) but another way is to make the Aust/NZ Challenge Cup feed into the UK Challenge Cup.

So, instead of a WCC style final (Aust winner v UK winner), the top 4 clubs from here go to England and enter into the final 8 of the UK Challenge Cup. That way you keep the history, but it is an international Challenge Cup as well.

Of course, the problem then is what if two Aussie clubs are in the final and/or an Aussie club wins the final - man, that could shatter the Brits permanently!

 

[mattystans000]

I'm actually more in favour of the WCC, it's already got its own history with 15 being played over the years and has now become a regular fixture on the RL Calander. I think the 'sanctity' of the Challenge Cup and the possible new age VictoryBowl should be kept separate plus the point RL 1908 brings up about possibly shattering the Brit's to a point where we drive them out of the game all together would be fair reason for keeping the two comps to their respective regions, the CC has Europe and the VB has Oceania.

 

[KalgoorlieRed]

Sounds good in principle, but drop the yank terminology yes.

 

[wittyfan]

How can you go wrong with a VictoryBowl Ring?

 

[mattystans000]

I also failed to mention that this concept WOULD take the place of NRL trial matches. This would mean that most clubs would still want those 2/3 games they play pre-season and hence put in a full NRL squad for hopefully two matches as they'll be more meaningful now. To make it as fair as possible to NRL clubs my compromise would be:

For the First Two Rounds the teams must only field PL sides (with the odd NRL player for warm up)
For Round 3 each team possible must field at least 8 NRL players (who have been contracted to the club for more than a year and played a certain number of matches in NRL)
For the 1/2 Finals and the Championship each teams line up, when possible, must be the best possible from each club (containing no PL players whatsover)

As for the name it's open to criticsm, but my view was trying to use this comp to sell Rugby League to the Nation as a comp that IS National (a first - don't tell me AFL is national with relocated victorians or Soccer with 1 Aussie to a team:roll: ) and to sell it to the World, in particular the USA (hence the name), to grow interest much faster and more wide spread. Also who needs another Cup/Plate/Trophy in the cabinent, for the first time a Rugby League team will have a Bowl. (If it sounds wierd to want to win a bowl, just try saying you want to win a cup)

 

[NK Arsenal]

VictoryBowl? WTF!? what's next? 8545514321mins in between the play-the-ball?

 

[mattystans000]

Nah mate, it's still Rugby League. I said the name was open to change, the idea sprang to mind watching the NFL Superbowl on Foxtel (in and out mind you) and I got the K/O idea from the CCup obviously. I just said VictoryBowl beacuse their already is/was a Victory Cup with Russia, USA and Ireland, so can't use that, and the idea of a Bowl rather than another Cup,Plate or Trophy sounded good for creating more interest, but the name could be anything, just trying to bring across a concept right now.

 

[Lockyer4President!]

I think the basic idea of an Aussie Challenge Cup has a lot of supporters. Something like this would be much more popular than the U20 comp.

 

[mattystans000]

I like the U20s comp idea because that has the potential to expand to as many teams as I had listed but without causing great finacial harm or poor results to top flight rugby league. So the U20s could expand nationally and set up teams like WA for a top flight rugby league franchise. But this VictoryBowl would be there to be a springboard to the club developoment nationally and give each club more experience and something to strive for.

 

[brooksy19]

The U/20's comp should be our priority. If you want to make it similar to NFL, have a draft coming out of the u/20's comp and have the u/20's comp televised so people are familiar with the rookies coming through.

But down the track I don't see a problem with a challenge cup style mid week tournament.

 

[mattystans000]

Just thought of a better name more suited to Australia style, I admit that anything sounds better than Amercanising stuff but I thought it sounded fine at the time. But I reckon if they called it the "ARL Victory League I 2009" it'd sell tickets. I'd like to see the U20s represent all teams at the pre season tournament but I would want NRL teams to HAVE to take part. Mainly it would be used to give the nation a National Comp for Rugby League, and one that actually is national having players from the area represent their area.

 

[NK Arsenal]

Nah mate, it's still Rugby League. I said the name was open to change, the idea sprang to mind watching the NFL Superbowl on Foxtel (in and out mind you) and I got the K/O idea from the CCup obviously. I just said VictoryBowl beacuse their already is/was a Victory Cup with Russia, USA and Ireland, so can't use that, and the idea of a Bowl rather than another Cup,Plate or Trophy sounded good for creating more interest, but the name could be anything, just trying to bring across a concept right now.

I like the idea, just not the name.

My name is something along the names of ARL Cup. Oh but then the Super League supporters would say something like "why not super league etc etc"